Firefighting duo help to deliver outbreak babies

Firefighting duo help to deliver outbreak babies

TWO firefighters working as ambulance drivers during teh Covid-19 pandemic have helped to welcome two baby boys into the world.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service firefighters Adriaan Phillipsen and Scott Taylor have been working with the East of England Ambulance Service during the outbreak

Kitesurfing instructor Adriaan, who has been an on-call firefighter at Frinton Fire Station for 14 years, has clocked up more than 150 hours attending emerncy calls alongside paramedics over the past three weeks.

A recent call saw him and his paramedic colleague welcome a baby boy, called Freddie, into the world in the back of the ambulance.

Freddie’s mum went into labour quicker than expected while en route to the hospital and the crew had to pull over to help deliver the baby safely.

Adriaan worked to get all of the equipment ready and to keep the woman calm and breathing, while his colleague helped to deliver baby Freddie safely.

Both the mother and baby were both taken to hospital afterwards to be checked over.

Adriaan said: "Being able to bring a little bit of joy in to the world in this time of uncertainty and sadness is a great experience.

"The role of ambulance driver has been really eye-opening and I’m really enjoying it.

"I’ve been crewed with a different paramedic each time and it’s interesting to see the different ways that people work. I've learned a lot so far."

Scott Taylor, a joiner who is an on-call firefighter at Weeley Fire Station, has also been working as an ambulance driver during the pandemic.

Scott has also worked more than 150 hours in the pas three weeks.

During a night shift, Scott and his colleague were called to a woman who was in labour and needed help to get out of her property and to the hospital.

Scott, his paramedic colleague and another paramedic in a car arrived and started to help the woman out of the house when her waters broke while going down the stairs.

Scott quickly got the stretcher to help the woman into the ambulance and before he had lifted the handbrake to drive away, the baby started to make his quick arrival into the world.

Scott said: "He was born within minutes. All credit has to go to the paramedics, they did a marvellous job.

"As things are in the world at the moment, it was quite a nice outcome to the end of a nightshift.

"Everyone I've worked with has been so nice.

"On the firefighter side of things, if we go to an incident where there is a casualty, as soon as those doors shut, you don’t know what’s involved.

"So being on the other side and being on the journey when an ambulance leaves the scene is really interesting.”

Paul Marshall, head of operations for Suffolk and North Essex at the East of England Ambulance Trust, said he was inspired by the "sense of togetherness" demonstrated by the emergency services during the national emergency.

Jo Turton, chief fire officer, added: “For these babies to grow up knowing they had both a paramedic and firefighter help to deliver them is quite something.

"In these difficult times I am delighted Adriaan and Scott have been able to be part of such a wonderful experience."

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